News

Kidney rejects rival's moans

Munster's coach has no time for suggestions that a familiar referee helped his team

DECLAN KIDNEY was asked to strip down Munster's performance to the essential bits and it didn't cost him a second thought. Yesterday was about getting over the line. Getting it done. Whatever it took.

"It was a hugely disciplined performance," he said. "The purists will say what kind of final was it? We're after coming out on top against Toulouse and not a lot of teams do that. Winning this competition is more than about today but we did what we needed to do today."

Guy Noves, the Toulouse coach, struck a controversial note when, after congratulating Munster on their win, he questioned the protocol of the same referee, Welshman Nigel Owens, officiating in five of Munster's matches, including the close-run final. Noves did not question the integrity of the referee but was clearly unhappy that he had refereed not only in Munster's pool games against Wasps and Clermont Auvergne,